1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a rubber composition which contains at least one rubber component and at least one filler, as well as conventional additives. The composition is particularly useful in tire treads, and the invention relates to tires containing the inventive composition.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Rubber compositions are used for the production of rubber products for a wide variety of uses. Depending on the field of use, different demands are placed on the particular rubber composition. Thus, in addition to rubber components, the rubber composition contains other components, such as fillers, anti-aging agents, and vulcallizing agents, which materially affect the propelties of the finished rubber product. For this reason, suitable systems of polymer and additional constituents must be prepared in order to obtain the appropriate properties of the rubber product. Fillers in a rubber composition are accorded great importance. Not only do they contribute to reducing the cost of rubber compositions, their specific effects on the rubber arc also exploited. For this reason, there has been no lack of experiments, e.g., to mix a wide variety of fillers, in the rubber composition. Thus, carbon black and silicic acid, for example, are known as fillers. It has been observed that rubber products which contain carbon black, for example, as a filler, have a sufficient mechanical load bearing capacity, but when these mixtures are used in tire treads, the tires have the disadvantage arises that they have a high rolling resistance and a poor wet skid behavior. An attempt has been made to solve this problem by adding silicic acid into the tread mixture; this in turn requires a filler activator for binding to the polymer. However, it has been observed that rubber products which contain silicic acid as a filler and a conventional organosilane as a filler activator (e.g., bis-3-(triethoxysilylpropyl)tetrasulfide) have an inadequate influence on the hysteresis behavior and the reinforcement of the rubber product for modern application areas. Thus, current rubber mixtures for the manufacture of vehicle tires (e.g., tire treads) are required that, in the vulcanized state, lend the tire even lower rolling resistance with an additionally improved wet slippage behavior. At the same time, other mechanical properties, such as durability, should be negatively influenced as little as possible.